Collapsible paperboard carton



y 1969 KOICHIRO OMORI I 3,446,414

COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD CARTON Filed June 20, 1967 May 27, 1969 Filed June 20, 1967 KOICHIRO OMORI COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD CARTON y 1969 KOICHIRO OMORI 3,446,414

COLLAPS IBLE PAPERBOARD CARTON Filed June 20, 1967 Sheet 3 of 5 Filed June 20, 1967 KOICHIRO OMORI COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD CARTON FIG. 23

Sheet 4 of5 F/GI /82 y 1969 KOICHIRO OMORI 3,446,414

I COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD CARTON Filed June 20, 1967 Sheet of 5 FIG. 2

5' i mes i g 64? wl 67-1 66 I 64 i 69 70 I 63 65 65'! z FEW? llnited States U.S. Cl. 229-28 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible six-sided carton formed of paperboard and adapted for accommodating a plurality of bottles or other cylindrical objects, having a plurality of interior partition panel members formed by a portion or portions of side walls which are previously provided with a plurality of horizontal, inclined or vertical cut lines and a plurality of fold lines. The interior partition panel members are hingedly connected with the side walls with the result that they are folded inwardly until they make right angles with respect to the adjacent side walls and are collapsed to the plane of the adjacent side walls according as the carton in its entirety is brought in set up and collapsed position, respectively. The bottom wall of the carton on the other hand is made up of two pairs of opposite lap panels which are foldably connected with the lower edges of the adjacent side panels, the adjacent lap panels being overlapped and secured to each other. Such an arrangement of the bottom lap panels permits a ready and prompt setup and collapsing operation of the carton accordingly as the side walls are brought into setup and collapsing condition, respectively.

This invention relates to collapsible six-sided cartons formed of paperboard and adapted to accommodate a plurality of cylindrical objects, such as bottles that are susceptible to rupture, and more particularly to cartons of this sort having interior partition members formed by folding horizontally and inwardly a portion or portions of the side walls thereby to define a plurality of separate sections within the cavity of the cartons, with the top and bottom walls specially designed to permit ready and prompt set up operation of the carton.

Existing paperboard cartons generally accepted on a commercial basis for the transportation and storage of beer or juice bottles comprise a top wall consisting of two pairs of generally rectangular flap panels connected hingedly with the longitudinal and transverse edges, respectively, of the side walls and, in some cases, one or more independent partition means each secured integrally and vertically on the bottom wall, the transverse flap panels underlying the longitudinal flap panels which meet each other along the substantial mid-line of the top wall of the carton in a fully set up position. The prior art cartons of this type inevitably involve a disproportionate amount of time and labor in the set up operation, requiring extra procedures for mounting interior partition means within the carton as well as folding, overlapping and inserting the flap panels of the top and bottom walls in a predetermined manner.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a means for carrying bottles, which is collapsible into a single compact structure suitable for the transportation and storage before and after the packaging of the bottles therein.

It is another important object of the invention to provide a means for carrying bottles whereby the collapsing and set up operation is greatly simplified and with economy of time and labour.

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a means for carrying bottles whereby the bottles are maintained in their proper positions at all times, with a minimum amount of material paperboard used to form said means.

It is a further and another important object of the invention to provide a means for carrying bottles, which is one or more apertures are provided in the side walls through which the bottles enclosed therein may be viewed from outside.

These and other objects and novel features of the invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partially set up carton embodying the present invention, with a portion of the carton structure removed in order to clearly illustrate the arrangement of the partition panels within the cavity of the carton;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the carton of FIG. 1 is formed;

FIG. 3 is a view diagrammatically illustrating the relationship of the partially collapsed partition panels to the side walls of the carton of FIG. 1, when seen from above the carton with its top and bottom lap panels removed;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the carton of FIG. 1 which is in partially set up condition;

blank from which the FIGS. 5, 9 and 13 are views similar to FIG. 1, but

illustrating modifications of the present invention;

FIGS. 6, 10 and 14 are views similar to FIG. 2, but corresponding to FIGS. 5, 9 and 13, respectively;

FIGS. 7, 11 and 15 are views showing the relationship of the partition panels to the side walls of the cartons of FIGS. 5, 9 and 13, respectively, when seen from above the carton with its top and bottom walls removed;

FIGS. 8, 12 and 16 are views similar to FIG. 4, but corresponding to FIGS. 5, 9 and 13, respectively;

FIGS. 17, 19 and 21 are similar to FIG. 2, but showing other modications of the cartons of FIGS. 5, 9 and 13, respectively;

FIGS. 18, 20 and 22 are similar to FIGS. 7, 11 and 15, but corresponding to FIGS. 17, 19 and 21, respectively;

FIGS. 23 and 24 are similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating other modifications of the cartons of FIGS. 5 and 9, respectively;

FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIGS. 7, l1 and 15, but showing a further modification of the cartonof FIG. 5;

FIG. 26 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a further modification of the carton of FIG. 9;

FIG. 27 is similar to FIGS. 7, 11 and 15, but corresponding to FIG. 26; and

FIG. 28 is a plan view of the blank for the formation of and additional partition panels for the carton of FIG.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the paperboard carton illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises two pairs of side wall panels 1, 2, 3 and 4 connected with each other in a foldably hinged series, with all of the portions having an equal length (i.e. in the direction of the blank width), a pair of outer top wall flap panels 5 and a pair of inner top wall flap panels '6 connected hingedly to the respective top edges of said two pairs of side walls 1,2, 3 and 4 and proportioned to overlap each other to form the top wall of the carton enclosing a group of bottles (not shown), a pair of substantially rectangular bottom wall lap panels 7 each with a recessed portion provided in such a shape as to assure the close engagement of the lap panels in set up condition of the carton and a pair of triangular bottom wall lap panels 8 connected hingedly to the respective bottom edges of said two pairs of side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 and shaped to overlap at the hatched portion a thereof as shown in FIG. 2 so as to form the uniplanar bottom wall of the set up carton. The top wall flap panels 5 and 6 may be otherwise arranged in any suitable manner to enclose the bottles carried by the carton and to give easy access to the interior thereof. The top wall fiap panels 5 and 6, the bottom wall flap panels 7 and 8 and the side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 comprise portions of a unitary blank, as shown in FIG. 2, which is scored to arrange these portions in foldably hinged sections.

There are provided in the blank of the carton of FIG. 2 a total of six horizontal cut lines arranged spacedly in parallel with the top and bottom edges of the side walls and a total of six additional fold lines arranged spacedly at right angles to said cut lines so that six partition panel sections are formed in the blank. More specifically as shown in FIG. 2, three parallel cut lines are provided in the side walls of the blank; one out line 9a extending across the connecting line of the side walls 1 and 2 with substantially equal length in the side wall sections 1 and 2, one extending from said fold line with length similar to the first cut line but running only in the side wall 2 and one cut line 90 extending across said fold line which is, in the side wall 1, in correspondence in length with the first cut line and, in the side wall 2, with the second cut line. It follows that the first two cut lines have an equal length which corresponds with the width of the side Wall 1 and that the last one corresponds with the width of the side wall 2. In the blank of FIG. 2, there are provided further three fold lines 10; one connecting the first and the second cut lines at their ends in the side wall 1, one connecting the other end of the first out line and the substantial mid-point of the portion of the third cut line running in the side wall 2 and one connecting the second and the third cut lines at their ends in the side wall 2.

As the result of such arragernent of the cut lines and fold lines, there are formed three different partition panel sectios 11, 12 and 13 as shown in FIG. 2. In the side Walls 3 and 4 on the other hand are provided other three cut lines and three fold lines, which are similar in length to but in vertically inversed relationship with the cut lines provided in the side walls 1 and 2. The result is that there are formed further three different partition panel sections 11, 12 and 13 in the side walls 3 and 4 which are similar to but in vertically inversed relationship with the counterparts formed in the side walls 1 and 2.

In set up condition of the carton, these partition panels are, as best illustrated in FIG. 1, folded horizontally and inwardly at right angles to the respective side walls so that the fold lines of the partition panels meet and abut against each other to define six separate sections each of which receives one bottle. The chain or broken lines as appearing in the figures throughout the drawings indicate fold lines.

Designated at 14 is an edge flap which is to be glued or stapled to the free edge of the side section 1 thereby to connect all of the side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 in an endless series. The hatched portions of the bottom lap panels 7 and 8 in FIG. 2 indicate areas to be glued or stapled to each other so as to form the uniplanar bottom wall of the carton which is stable and strong enough to bear the load of the bottles packaged therein. In connecting the bottom lap panels with each other, it is necessary to glue or staple the inner surface of the areas hatched by chain or broken lines to the outer surface of the areas hatched by full lines, whereupon the lap panels 7 are connected fixedly with the lap panels 8, respectively.

The boundary line of the overlapping portion of each of the lap panels 7 is scored to facilitate the collapsing of the carton into a compact structure consisting of two layers of paperboard, wherein all of the bottom lap panels 7 and 8 are folded inwardly and upwardly of the cavity of the carton. FIG. 3 illustrates the arrangement of the partition panels in relation to the side Walls of the carton partially collapsed, when viewed from above with its top and bottom walls removed for clarity of illustration. If the fold lines intermediate the adjacent side wall panels 1 and 4 and those between 2 and 3 are pushed toward the center of the carton i.e. in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3, the partition panels arise from the side wall sections to eventually define six separate square sections within the cavity of the carton. FIG. 4 shows the manner in which the carton according to the invention is brought into collapsed condition, wherein the lap panels 7 are tilted downwardly until they form a uniplanar bottom wall in close engagement with each other.

The carton set up in the aforementioned manner thus consists of six horizontally separated sections formed by a single but partially overlapped longitudinal partition 9 and two transverse partitions 11 and 12.

FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate a modified embodiment of the carton according to the invention designed to hold half a dozen bottles, with its elements generally similar in shape to those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In this modification of the carton, however, there are provided tabs 5 to the outer top fiap panels 5 and locking slots 6 along the fold line of each of the inner top flap panels 6, the latter being proportioned and aligned to be engaged with the former. The bottom wall comprises a pair of substantially triangular lap panels 8 and a pair of substantially rectangular lap panels 7 each with a recessed portion as in the case of the carton previously described. Designated at 7' is a fold line adapted to facilitate the retraction of the bottom lap panels 7 and 8 inwardly of the carton which is accordingly brought into securely collapsed position.

In the blank of FIG. 6, the side wall sections 1 and 3 have provided therein partition panels 13 defined by two parallel cut lines 9a and 9c and two parallel fold lines 10 connecting said out lines 911 and 9c, and the side wall sections 2 and 4 have provided therein partition panels 12 defined by cut lines 9b and 9c and parallel fold lines 10, and partition panels 11 defined by parallel cut lines 9d and 9e and parallel fold lines 10. These partition panels are formed with equal width which corresponds to one-half the width of the side wall 1 or 3. The cut lines may be cut at certain angles to the longitudinal edges of the side walls as illustrated in FIG. 6. Two sets of partition panels are formed in the adjacent side walls 1 and 2 and in 3 and 4, respectively. The cut lines 9c are connected to the cut lines 9d by a vertical out line which extends from the fold line intermediate the partition panels 11 and 13.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the cut line 9b is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal edges of the side walls. This out line 9b joins with the out line 9e at the fold line connecting the partitions 11 and 13. FIGS. 7 and 8, similarly to FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrate the manner in which the carton of FIG. 5 is set up.

Another modification of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12, designed to accommodate eight bottles. As best illustrated in FIG. 10, the blank of the modified form of the carton is provided with four horizontal cut lines 20, 20, 21 and 21', a plurality of oblique cut lines 22, 22, 23 and 23', and a plurality of fold lines provided to connect each of said horizontal and oblique cut lines, thereby to form eight separate partition panel sections 27 and 27' to 30 and 30'. The cut line 20 intersects the connecting fold line of the side walls 3 and 4 and extends in the side wall 3 with a length corresponding to one-third the wall width and in the side wall 4 with a length corresponding to three-fourths the wall width. The out line 21 also intersects said connecting line between side walls 3 and 4 and extends in the side wall 3 with a length corresponding to one-third the wall width and in the side wall 4 with length corresponding to one-fourth the wall width. The out line 20 intersecting the connecting line of the side walls 1 and 2 extends in the side wall 1 with length corresponding to two-thirds the wall width and in the side wall 2 with length corresponding to threefourths the wall length. The cut line 21 intersects the connecting line of the side walls 1 and 2 and extends in the side wall 1 with length corresponding to two-thirds the wall width and in the side wall 2 with length corresponding to one-fourth the wall width. In the side walls 3 and 4 are provided two parallel oblique cut lines 22 and 23 of similar length of which the cut line 22 extends from the connecting line of the side walls 3 and 4 to the imaginary mid-line of the side wall 4 and the out line 23 extends centrally of the side wall 4. In the side walls 1 and 2 on the other hand are provided two oblique cut lines 22' and 23 of which the cut line 22' extends from the point distant one-third of the width of the wall 1 from the connecting line of the side walls 1 and 2 to the point distant one-half of the width of the side wall 2 from said connecting line. These cut lines define eight partition panel sections 27 and 27' to 30 and 30, in cooperation with the fold lines connecting each of the cut lines, resulting in the formation of eight separate sections to receive bottles. The arrangement of these cut lines will be better understood with reference to the blank of FIG. 10, though similar in basic concept to the first modification of the carton according to the invention.

The top wall comprises a pair of inner fiap panels 32 and a pair of outer fiap panels 34 and 34', which are hingedly connected to the respective edges of the side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each of said two inner top flap panels are provided therein with locking slots 31 proportioned and aligned to mate with locking flap tabs 33 and 33' connected to said outer fiap panels 34 and 34', respectively. The locking fiap tab 33 may be formed longer than the locking flap tab 33', with a fold line 35 extending in parallel with the longitudinal edges of the side wall 2, so that, in set up condition of the carton, the tab 33 can be folded downwardly and inwardly of the carton so as to serve as an additional partition panel as shown by a chain line in FIG. 9. In such an arrangement of the outer top flap panel 33, a plurality of slots 36 may be provided in said tab 33 for engagement with the partition panels formed by the portions of the side walls.

Three U-shaped tabs '24, 25 and 26 are slotted underneath the cut lines 21, 22 and 23, respectively, which are glued or stapled to the partition panels 28', 29' and 30', respectively, at the vicinity of the fold line of each of these partition panels, thereby securing the abutment of the opposite corner edges of the partition panels 27 and 27' to 30 and 30'. It is to be noted that the provision of such tabs 24 to 26 is helpful in the set up as well as collapsing operation of the carton of the invention. Shown further by FIG. 12 is the relationship of the bottom lap panels 7 and 8 which are partially set up or partially collapsed condition.

A third modification of the carton according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 16, which is designed to accommodate four bottles. This modified carton is characterized in that a pair of horizontal cut lines 9 and a pair of vertical fold lines are provided in the side walls 3 and 4. The cut lines 9, similar in length i.e. corresponding to the width of one of the side walls, intersects centrally the fold line of the side walls 3 and 4. Defined by these cut lines and fold lines there is formed in the side walls 3 and 4 partition panel sections 16 and 17 which are further separated by a pair of L- shaped cut lines 18 and 18 connecting each of said cut lines 9 to the fold line intermediating the side walls 3 and 4. The partition panels 16 and 17 thus arranged have respective extensions 16' and 17' which when the carton is set up and the partition panels 16 and 17 are folded inwardly thereof as best shown by FIG. 13, afford four substantially separate sections within the cavity of the carton as illustrated in FIG. 15. An edge fiap is adapted to be glued or stapled to the free edge of the side wall 1 so as to form an endless series of side walls 1, 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 16 shows the manner in which the carton of the modified form is collapsed, the pressure being exerted in the direction of the arrow until all of the bottom lap panels form a uniplanar wall in closely abutting relation with each other.

It is apparent from the foregoing description of this invention that the essence of the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of cut lines, either horizontal or oblique, and fold lines so ingeniously arranged as to form a plurality of interior partition panel sections in the side walls, which are folded inwardly and horizontally of the carton thereby to form a plurality of separate or substantially separate sections to hold bottles in a proper position at all times, whereas one or more apertures are formed in the side walls resulting from the formation of said partition panels so that the bottles packaged therein can be viewed from outside.

On the other hand, the arrangements of the bottom wall lap panels permit an automatic formation of a uniplanar bottom wall according as the carton is being set up with the pressure applied against two of the corner edges of the carton, during which time the partition panels are being folded inwardly to form separate sections within the cavity of the carton.

When the set up carton as shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 9 or 13 is brought into collapsed condition, there occurs no superimpositioned nor overlapping of the partition members with the result that the thickness of the collapsed carton structure is reduced to a minimum as existing paperboard cartons which have incorporated therein independent partition member that are integrally fixed to the walls of the carton.

One of the advantages of the present invention lies in the buffering effect of the partition panels inserted inbetween the bottles carried by the carton, wherein there is absolutely no need of providing such partition panels that cover the entire length of the bottles. Utilization of partition panels covering partially the length of the bottles reduces notably the amount of the material paperboard, leading to considerable economy of the production cost.

In addition to the above three modified forms of the carton according to the present invention, it is possible to make further modifications with minor alterations carried out thereon.

Shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 is one of such modified form of the first modification of the carton previously described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. Designed to accommodate nine bottles, the carton of which the blank is shown by FIG. 17 has three parallel cut lines and three parallel fold lines in the side walls 1 and 2. The side walls 3 and 4 are also provided with three cut lines and three fold lines which are similar to but in vertically inversed relationship with those provided in the side walls 1 and 2. A plurality of partition paneled sections 19 and !19 are defined by these out lines and fold lines so that nine separate sections are formed within the cavity of the carton as illustrated in FIG. 18.

FIGS. 19 and 20 Show a further modified form of the second modification of FIGS. 9 to 12, .Which has two rows of six sections to receive a total of twelve bottles. As seen from FIG. 19, the side walls 1 and 2 have provided therein tWo horizontal cut lines 37 and 42, and the side walls 3 and 4 have provided therein lines 37' and 42' which are similar to but in vertically inversed relationship with those provided in the side walls 1 and 2. Furthermore, the side wall 1 is provided with six oblique cut lines 38 to 41 and the side wall 3 with six oblique cut lines 38' to 41 which are similar to but in vertically inversed relationship with the lines 38 to 41. The result of the provision of these out lines is that a plurality of partition panel sections are defined in the blank so that a total of twelve sections are formed in the set up carton as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 20.

FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate a further modified form of the third modification of FIGS. 13 to 16, wherein three parallel horizontal cut lines 46, 47 and 48 are provided in the side walls 1 and 2 with three L-shaped cut lines connected to each of said horizontal cut lines, thereby defining three major partition panels 49, 50 and 41 and three minor partition panels 52 to 54. It follows that six separate sections are formed within the cavity of the carton, as seen from FIG. 22.

FIG. 23 shows another modification of a carton of which the side walls are formed by a sheet of material 45 shaped in a substantial S pattern in the horizontal section, wherein a portion of the wall is shown to serve as an interior partition panel 45.

Such utilization of a portion of the side walls as an interior partition panel can be applied to the carton of FIGS. 13 to 16, as illustrated in FIG. 24. In this modification of the invention, a single sheet of material is shaped to form the side walls 1 to 4 and a wall 55 employed as an interior partition panel dividing generally the cavity of the carton into two major sections. Each of the major sections is further divided by partitions like those illustrated in FIG. 15.

The carton shown by FIG. 25 is constructed basically in a similar manner to the carton shown by FIGS. 1 to 4, but it is characterized by the utilization of an additional and independent partition panel 5b :dividing the carton in two major sections.

It is possible to provide one or more cut lines 61 and fold lines 60 in an additional and independent partition panel 62, which is by way of example, shown 'by FIG. 28. When this additional and independent partition panel is incorporated in each of the cartons previously described, the number of sections formed within the cavity of the carton can be increased as desired. The horizontal cut lines 63, 64, oblique cut lines 65, 65' and fold lines 66 of the blank shown by FIG. 26 are substantially similar to those of the blank of FIG. and form panels 677 1. FIG. 27 illustrates diagrammatically the arrangement of the sections formed in the cavity of the carton when seen from above.

What is claimed is:

1. A paperboard carton for bottles comprising, two pairs of top wall flap panels, two pairs of opposite side walls hingedly connected at the top edges thereof with the respective top wall flap panels and two pairs of bottom wall flap panels hingedly connected with the respective side walls at the bottom edges thereof, said side walls being provided with a plurality of cut lines and fold lines connecting said cut lines with each other at their ends so as to define a plurality of partition panels which are toldable inwardly and horizontally of the carton at right angles to said side walls with the result that a plurality of separate sections are formed within the cavity of the carton in set up position to allow holding of bottles carried therein and which are collapsible to the plane of said side walls when two pairs of adjacent side walls are brought in face-to-face contact with each other in collapsed condition of the carton and some of said partition panels having tabs which securely connect opposite fold lines of the partition panels.

2. A paperboard carton as defined in claim '1, wherein said partition panels are provided with L-shaped projections which extend in line with the respective partition panel so as to form one or more additional sections partially defined from adjacent sections in set up condition of the carton.

3. A paperboard carton as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of said partition panels is utilized to form an additional partition panel within the cavity of the carton.

4. A paperboard carton as defined in claim 1, wherein one or more additional and independent panels having provided therein cut lines and fold lines are pro vided within the cavity of the carton vertically on its bottom wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,698,708 1/1955 Margolies 22928 2,727,653 12/1955 Pasjack 220 X 2,781,150 2/1957 Bergstein 220-113 2,913,101 11/1959 Daily 22927 X 2,943,780 7/ 1960 Bolding 22939 3,297,197 1/1967 Woodling 220l13 3,313,466 4/ 1967 Keith 22927 FOREIGN PATENTS 480,601 1/ 1952 Canada.

1,266,616 6/1961 France.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 220-l13 

